Death Becomes Us
by Aphrodite2
Summary: Nancy and George head to Charleston to help locate a missing woman,to find Joe and Frank are in town to do the same thing. Will they be able to find out what happened to Linda Hamiliton at the same time trying to stop a serial killing spree?
1. Chapter 1

Death Becomes Us by Aphrodite

This is my first Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Fanfiction! So please be nice.

Disclaimer: Are you reading this? Are you reading this on a FAN fiction site? Yup that means I am a fan and not the owner/real author, otherwise it would be extremely rich author fiction site and you would be paying me lots and lots of money to read it! Oh well ^_^ I don't own anything in the story that you recognize but I do own 16 different first volume Nancy Drew books from 1930-1936! (yup its true, they are old, wooden and very fragile, but way way way different from the version of the books you can buy now!)

* * *

_The air was so heavy and damp, and I can smell something musty. This is my first thought when I woke up. The next was the cramping sensation in my neck, arms, and legs; I can feel pins and needles racing up and down all of my extremities. Slowly I force my eyes open and see, nothing. Its pitch black, and I try to force myself into a sitting position but my wrist and elbows are tied together, and there is something over my head blocking my upwards movement. There is a foggy cloud impeding my thoughts and I can't seem to shake it loose. _

'_Where am I?' I can't place what I was doing before waking up. I am confused and a little blank. I move around the best I can and realize I am in a trunk. There is a heaviness starting to build in my chest, pushing a startling pressure from my heart outwards into my limbs. I am panicking; I can feel it, but no matter how I try I can't fight back the terror. _

'_Scream, scream.' I think over and over but I can't make my mouth work. I don't know what to do; the pressure on my chest is immense. 'I can't breathe.' I force my breath in and out. My head feels like it is going to explode along with my heart, I start praying that it will indeed explode. _

'_Dear God, please let this end.'_

_The terror is so intense now, that it feels like that's all there ever was. It's not the fun giddy sort of scared I usually associate with horror movies or a good King book but real intense fear. It's whole consuming and it pushes all thoughts out of my mind except the fear itself. Somewhere in the back of my mind I take note that my body is rolling around the trunk as the car starts up and starts moving. I also am vaguely aware that there are items in the trunk with me, but none of this is important at the moment. I cannot see past the fear. _

_My fingers flexing themselves, almost manically, behind my back come across something soft and fuzzy. My fingers clutch the soft item like a safety net, trying to hold onto something real. I realize slowly, kind of like a second thought that I was holding my little girls stuffed bunny. It was her favorite toy until last year when she turned eleven and she was 'too' big to carry stuffed animals around. Her dad gave it to her in the hospital when she was born and I couldn't bear to throw it away just yet so I kept in it the trunk, trying to talk myself into taking it to GOODWILL. _

"_I'm in my car. I'm in my car' the thought, along with the feel of my daughters beaten and tattered toy start calming me down. The pain in my chest starts to lift and my head starts to clear. I take my breaths slowly and start to pray out loud. A simple prayer most of us learn as children in Sunday school but it helps to push the rest of the panic out of my mind._

"_Our Father who art in heaven,_

_hallowed be thy name."_

_I can feel the car starting to slow down._

"_Thy kingdom come._

_Thy will be done_

_on earth as it is in heaven."_

_Now the car door is opening and I can hear dry twigs and leaves crunching under what must be a heavy boot,_

"_Give us this day our daily bread,_

_and forgive us our trespasses,_

_as we forgive those who trespass against us,"_

_The trunk is being unlocked and slowly it opens. I watch, reciting my prayer._

"_and lead us not into temptation,_

_but deliver us from evil."_

_I see the silhouette of a man, almost comically dressed in all black with a ski mask pulled over his head._

"_For thine is the kingdom,_

_and the power, and the glory"_

_My eyes, still wide open watch as he pulls a hunters axe over his head._

"_for ever and ever."_

_He starts to swing the ax down and silently I send all the love and energy I have out to my family,_

"_Amen" _

_I see the axe arc and hit me in the middle of my chest. The pains almost dull, so I clutch the bunny a little tighter and close my eyes for the last time._

'

* * *

Nancy Drew was spending her last night in River Heights with her dad, and family housekeeper Hannah. Tomorrow she would be flying down to Charleston, SC to meet her mother's second cousin, Geoffrey. Geoff's wife, along with her car, has been missing for five days and the police have no leads, nor were they looking for any. It disturbed Nancy to know that the police didn't even look for suspects. They assume she ran out on her husband and family.

Nancy didn't know much more than the basic details, but she and her good friend George Fayne, was meeting Geoff tomorrow evening for dinner in North Charleston.

"I haven't seen Geoff in almost 12 years but what I can remember of him he is a good guy. He joined the navy as soon as he graduated high school and is close if not past retirement age. But he's a lifer, loves the Navy and I can't see him retiring before they make him. He will be both an asset and a liability in your investigation Nan. He is whip smart and will be able to answer any questions you have but he also will want to get too involved I think. He loved Linda fiercely and when a man loves a woman like that, and some how looses her, it breaks him and he doesn't feel whole anymore. Often they feel like revenge is the only way to get back what is missing. It doesn't, nothing does but it's hard to get that through for the first couple of months."

"You make it sound like she's dead Dad, she could just have ran off, like the police thought. We shouldn't jump to conclusion. When you do that you can't look at the whole picture, just like the police. You always told me that Dad." Nancy smiled widely at her father. The three were sitting down in the Drew family home, eating an amazing Lasagna Hannah had prepared that day.

Carson shook his head. "I know Nancy but I knew Linda before I had even met your mother, we went to Elementary school all the way through high school together. Your mother and I were the ones to introduce her to Geoff. She wanted children so badly. She had four miscarries before very late they had an unexpected surprise. She loved her little girl more than anything. I know Linda and she would not leave her family willingly."

Nancy dipped her head down and sat silently at her dad's proclamation. She knew her Dad meant well but sometimes people to do things so out of the ordinary from what was thought of them that anything really was possible. She didn't want to pin one explanation on the issue before assembling all the facts.

"Either way Dad, I plan on finding out what happened to Linda." And Nancy was determined to do just that.

* * *

Frank Hardy was in one hell of a pickle. He was suppose to meet up with Joe for dinner at the hotel but the woman he was interviewing was a talker, and trying to hint for him to take her to dinner. Frank resisted checking his watch for the third time while trying to keep somewhat of an ear onto what the woman was saying. Frank and Joe were in Charleston, SC to help try and find out what happened to a woman, Linda Hamilton. The police were under the impression that she ran out on her family. Her and her husband have apparently been arguing about him retiring at the end of the year instead of extending his enlistment. They think she got tired of being second fiddle to his career and took off.

Her co-workers at Smith and Wesson Law Offices, where she worked as a paralegal, thought something happened to her. One of the ladies knew Fenton and gave him a call. Fenton was out on another investigation and sent his two sons in his stead. Frank wasn't sure what he thought had happened to the young woman but he knew that something didn't add up.

Him and Joe had been there just over 12 hours and interviewed seven of Linda's co-workers and friends and all of them said the same thing. That if Linda was to run off and leave her husband, there would be no way she would leave her daughter, Shelly behind. The little girl was everything to Linda. Joe had been taken to look at Linda's desk while Frank had started the interviews. Joe had told Frank that the desk was covered in pictures of her daughter, and drawings the little girl had made. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary. She even had a file on her desk with a post it note attached to make sure she filed it with the court in the morning when she came into work.

'Who writes themselves reminder notes if they don't plan on coming back to her desk to perform the task. It just doesn't add up.' Frank thought as he once again resisted the urge to tell the woman to shut up. IF she was telling him useful information it would be different but she was just blabbering useless office gossip and Frank was getting hungry.

"I'm sorry Ms. Turtleton but I have to be going. Do you mind if we finish this conversation later?" Frank flashed her a smile and she melted a little.

"It's Grace to you and that's fine, we could always finish it over dinner." The woman could have easily been Frank's mother but it didn't distract from that fact that she was devilishly gorgeous. Frank flushed red.

"I have plans to meet my brother, maybe some other time Ms. Turtleton." Frank stood up and offered his hand. Grace pouted for a second before lifting herself up also. Smiling her intertwined both of her hands around Franks and moved in close to his ear.

"I look forward to it, Mr. Hardy." She whispered into his ear before drawing her hand and body back. She flashed him one last smirk before sauntering out of the room.

'I think I will kill Joe for leaving me alone with her.' Frank, still red, gathered up his notes and folders and stuffed them in his messenger bag before heading out.

* * *

Frank found Joe sitting in the small café the hotel housed with someone else. Frank couldn't tell who it was but they had a broad back and spiky blonde hair. 'I know that back.' Frank thought as he approached the table.

Joe looked up and grinned, "Hey Frank, look who's in town!" Joe indicated the man to his left who had stood up and turned around. Frank Hardy smiled brightly and reached out to embrace the man.

"Biff! It's been forever since we last saw you! What are you doing in Charleston? Last we heard you were in San Francisco working your way up in ranks in the Army." Biff returned Franks embrace before sitting back down at the table.

"Yeah I am on leave at the moment. We deploy for Iraq in three months, so I decided to take some time for me before I go and entered into the Charleston County Charity Boat Competition. Luckily I got my leave dates so here I am for the next two weeks."

Frank looked Solemn. "Iraq huh? That's too bad." Biff shook his head at Frank's statement.

"It's not all that bad. The fighting over there has decreased greatly and its what I joined the Army for, to be able to help people; in my country and in others. But let's not talk about that now, I am here for some fun and get to see two of my best friends that I haven't seen in three years."

Frank forced himself to change the subject also, "So boating still huh? Your craft any good?"

"Are you kidding? It is amazing. He took me out to see it this afternoon and its pristine." Joe interjected.

Frank raised an eyebrow, "You were suppose to be trying to get a hold of Linda's husband this afternoon, not goofing off." Before Joe could retort the waitress showed up and took their orders. Joe waited, as patiently as he could, for her to finish and walk away before responding.

"Goofing off? I was not goofing off, I was enjoying the company of a long friend while you whittled the hours away chatting it up with Ms. Legs Turtleton. I called his office this afternoon and he said that he will meet us tomorrow night. He has to meet some detectives of his own at Café Tois at 6:00 and we can meet him then. "

Frank decided to ignore the jab about his interview and focus on the end of Joe's situation. "Tomorrow night? That's fine, we can try and talk to the lead detective tomorrow morning and then YOU can go and finish the interview with Ms. Turtleton. I don't think I can do it."

Joe laughed and the trio settles down to eat the dinner the waitress was placing on the table.

* * *

Ok that's what I have so far. I wasn't going to post this story until I finish another story in a different Fandom but I found I couldn't keep my thoughts on the other story because this one was pushing itself in the way. So I had to start it. What do you think? It will be a Frank/Nancy story but it's going to be mostly focused on the mystery. Thanks for reading!

Question of the week: How much wood does a wood chuck, chuck, if a wood chuck could chuck wood? My guess is three pounds, any other guesses?


	2. Chapter 2

Death Becomes Us

This chapter is light on the mystery, heavy on, 'hey this is where everyone is at in their lives yadda yadda yadda.' I hope you enjoy!

_It wasn't right, she wasn't like the others. She was different, but I had to do it, she was getting in the way. I can see her in my head and her short brown curls lying over her tear stained face and it's wrong. The picture is all wrong. WRONG! This is not the way it is suppose to go. I like the pretty blonde hair, silky and soft against my fingers, like mamas. I am trying to remember the one before her, to remember running my fingers through the silky tresses but all I can think about is 'her' brown hair. It keeps getting in my way and I can't help but remember how my fingers kept getting caught in her curls. It's disgusting the way her hair looked against her skin. It is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong._

_But her, shopping in the market with her family; she is right, she is perfect. Look at all that beautiful blonde hair._

* * *

Nancy Drew and George Fayne walked into their hotel room and immediately dropped everything they were carrying down and plopped onto each of the beds. George, who was face down on her queen bed mumbled, "Whose idea was it to take a case in the middle of the summer somewhere this humid?"

Nancy groaned from her prone position on the other bed, "I think that fault lies with me. It would be nice to be somewhere else right now, like the North Pole."

George laughed from her bed before forcing herself to sit up, "We would have been here an hour ago if you could have found the rental car faster. It's amazing how you can find clues where no one else can but when it comes to following simple directions to the rental car lot, you get lost."

"Shut up George. Next time I will send you to get the car and I will stand with the luggage." George giggled at Nancy's scowl. "Either way we need to freshen up before we meet Geoff for dinner and it's already after four. I'll jump in the shower and you can go next."

George nodded before lying back down, if she had to wait for Nancy to get out of the shower, she might as well wait horizontally.

Nancy showered and toweled off in the small bathroom provided by the hotel before returning to the room. They didn't have much time so she would have to get her travel blow dryer out and get ready in the room while George showered. She walked in to find George asleep on her bed. She knew George was tired, she had just returned home from a Maymester at Illinois U when Nancy asked her to go to South Carolina with her.

Nancy contemplated letting George sleep while she went and met with Geoff but knew neither of them had ate anything since breakfast except a pack of pretzels on the plane. "Sorry to do this to you George but, times a wasting." Nancy grabbed the edge of the blankets and heaved them up as hard as she could, causing George to roll of the bed and onto the floor.

"Oomph. Oh, that hurt." Nancy laughed as George stood up rubbing her behind. "It's not funny Nan, you could have just shaken me."

Nancy shook her head, "Nope, not as much fun and you're harder to wake up then Bess and we don't have a lot of time. Jump in, I will get ready out here." She turned and picked up her bag from the floor placing it on the bed, pulling out in neat piles, clothes and other necessities. George followed her example and picked up her bag, dumping it out on the bed in a messy pile.

George shifted through the pile for a few minutes before groaning loudly. Nancy raised an eyebrow at her dark haired friend. "What'd you forget this time George?" She asked smiling. George almost always forgot to bring something with her on a trip, usually it was her phone charger, and she ends up buying a new one. She has at least five for every phone she has ever owned.

George flushed pink before mumbling something. "I'm sorry I didn't catch that, what did you forget?"

"My underwear, okay! I remember pulling out a stack and setting it on the bed to pack but it's not here." Nancy laughed until she thought her sides were going to burst. Finally she was able to calm down and reply to George.

"Guess its commando tonight George. But don't worry; we can buy you some more on the back from dinner." George scoffed and grabbed her dress pants and blouse of the bed before marching into the bathroom. Nancy continued to get dressed and blow dries her hair. She was in the process of applying a light coat of makeup when George walked back in the room, dressed. She looked really good in a pleated pair of black pants and a simple deep red top.

"You look good George, and the best part is, you won't have to worry about panty lines!" Nancy laughed as George picked up her hair brush and threw it, just narrowly missing Nancy in her electric blue slip dress.

* * *

It was 15 past six by the time Nancy and George had found a parking space. Nancy had called Geoff and let him know they were running a little behind, and he promised to order drinks and appetizers for them while waiting. Café Tois was only two blocks up the road from where they parked and the girls started down the street in a brisk walk.

"Okay Nan, I feel like a floozy without any underwear on. I feel like everyone can tell." George said while trying to cover her hind side with her purse. Nancy laughed.

"Who says floozy these days? And it's no big deal, Bess hardly ever wears them and she's not a floozy. And you can't tell just by looking at you, so calm down."

George fidgeted the whole way to the restaurant. When they entered in they told the hostess that they were with Mr. Geoff Hamilton. The hostess flagged down a waiter who escorted them to a table towards the back of the restaurant. Nancy recognized Geoff from the picture of him and Linda that Carson kept around the house. What baffled Nancy were the two men, who looked remarkably familiar shaking hands with the man. They turned around to leave and Nancy caught her breath.

"Frank Hardy? Joe?" The two men looked up surprised. Twin grins broke out on their faces and the rushed forward to sweep Nancy and George into hugs. Nancy couldn't help but notice that her hug from Frank lasted a significant amount of time longer than George's, but she could have been imagining it. "What are you guys doing here? How do you know Geoff?" The Hardy's looked back and glanced at the man sitting at the table behind them.

"We are looking into the disappearance of his wife Linda. We were hired by some people at her work." Nancy looked at Frank shocked.

"Geoff was my Mom's cousin and Linda and my dad went to school together. We're here looking into her disappearance to. Look I would love to talk to you guys about this later."

Joe smiled, "Sure, we are meeting a friend of ours at 9 for drinks at The Drink Scene. Why don't you guys meet us there?"

"Sure that sounds great, but we have got to go now. We'll give you a call when we leave here." Nancy smiled brightly at the brothers, honestly glad to see the two brothers and be able to work together with them again.

The brothers turned and left, Frank casting a quick glance back over his shoulder before walking out the door. Nancy and George turned apologetically towards Geoff, who sat waiting patiently at the table.

"Sorry about that, Frank and Joe are old friends of ours, and great detectives. Hi, you must be Geoff, I am Nancy Drew, and this is George Fayne." Nancy stuck out her hand and shook Geoff's and George did the same.

"Hi, Nancy, George. Wow we have pictures of you but to see you in person, you really do look just like your mother." Nancy flushed, and Geoff motioned for the girls to sit, " I took the liberty to order us dinner, family style. I hope you don't mind?"

"That sounds great. I didn't realize more detectives were being hired?" Nancy stated as her and George sat down at the table.

Geoff nodded, "You say they are good detectives'? That's great; we will take anyone working on this that we can get. Linda's job doesn't appear to agree with our local authorities about her running off. They have hired your friends the Hardy's to look into it also. I don't care how many people look into it, as long as they find her."

George nodded before asking, "So since we talked to you yesterday there hasn't been any new news? What are the police doing?"

Geoff shook his head, dropping his eyes to his glass, "They aren't doing anything. The head detective, Gonzales, said he had a Bolo out on her but there wasn't really all that much more they could do. They don't have the man power to put into a search right now. There is what the news is calling a serial killer running rampant in Charleston County and the police are over taxed at the moment."

Nancy almost choked on her drink, "A serial killer in Charleston? What's his M.O.? Do the detectives' have any leads? How many victims? Are they sure Linda's disappearance doesn't have anything to do with this?"

"No she doesn't fit the M.O. There have been three that they know of, all blonde and in their late twenties, early thirties. The news isn't going main stream, the BAU unit that's here thinks that is exactly what he wants. The bodies are all found within 48 hours of the disappearance and in very public places."

Nancy nodded, "I hope in this instance that they are right. Where's Shelly tonight?"

Nancy and George could see Geoff's whole face soften at the mention of his daughter, "She's with Linda's mom. She came down three days ago and Shelly's been spending a lot of time with her. I took some leave so I can stay home, it starts this weekend. I have 30 days."

"That's great, your daughter will be very happy to have you home." George said as the waitress brought their dinners.

"We are going to try and organize a search of volunteers to help look for her or her car. Judy, that's Linda's mom's name, is going to organize it, see if we can get it going by the weekend."

"I think that's a good start. George and I are going to go by the police station in the morning and try and talk to Detective Gonzales; then we are going to head to her work and see if there is anything there that might be of help. That's where she was last seen right?"

Geoff nodded, "She went in on Thursday, but Grace, Grace Turtleton, she's one of the partners there, said she sent Linda to the court house around two to file a briefing and then told her she could head home."

"Did she make it to the court house?" George asked between bites.

"Yes, she filed the briefing around four; the desk clerk in the D.A.'s office remembered General Hospital had just ended in the waiting area when Linda came in."

Nancy narrowed her eyes slightly in thought, making a mental note to check the distance from the office to the court house. The conversation died off as the trio ate the rest of their dinner in silence. As they were finishing up their plates, and the bill paid; Geoff asked, "Why don't you and George come over tomorrow for dinner. Judy would love to meet Carson's daughter. Carson basically lived at the Smith's house as a child I'm told."

Nancy smiled widely, "We would love to come for dinner and meet both Judy and Shelly." George nodded at the statement.

"Good, it's settled, we will see you tomorrow night, around 6:00"Geoff stopped and slid his card out of the check holder and back into his wallet. The group split up for the night. Nancy and George made their way back to the rental car.

"Let's call Frank and Joe and let them know that we're done with dinner." Nancy suggested as she dug in her purse for the car keys and her cell phone.

"It's only just eight, why don't we stop by the store and buy me something and drop them off before we call the Hardy's." Nancy laughed deeply, unlocking the car doors.

"That sounds good to me."

* * *

It was just after nine when George and Nancy showed up to The Drink Scene. It was a mellow bar type setting, almost like a coffee house. The girls made their way to the bar and ordered their drinks, Nancy a glass of Chardonnay and George a pulled Guinness. They looked around the first floor and didn't see the Hardy's sitting at any of the small round tables crammed in the area. So they headed up the spiral stair case to the second story where small couches and armchairs were arranges in small circles. A mellow artsy rock gently flowed from speakers at the back of the room.

The girls noticed the Hardy brothers sitting towards the front of the room in one of the circular areas with another blonde man. After picking their way across the semi-crowded room they stopped next to Joe, who jumped up and gave each of the girls a small hug.

"Hey guys, glad you found the place alright. This is Biff; we went to high school together. Biff this is Nancy Drew and this is George Fayne, Nancy's a detective too." Biff stood up and shook hands with both the girls.

He raised his eye brow slightly at George, "George? Interesting name, you might be the first attractive person I've ever met with that name." George blushed deeply before taking a long pull from her beer. "And of course I have heard of you Nancy, Frank talked a lot about you in high school." This time both Nancy and Frank blushed.

"I didn't talk a lot about Nancy in school, I was just telling stories of cases Joe and I worked on, it just so happened Nancy worked on some of them with us." Joe, George, and Biff laughed.

"Right, George was you on any of those mysteries, because I don't recall your name ever coming up in any of Franks stories?"

George smiled brightly, "Yup, on quite a few, so was my cousin Bess, I suppose you never heard of her either?"

"Nope, name doesn't ring a bell." The group laughed. "I am just picking on Frank. I have heard lots about all three of you, from both of them."

Nancy smiled, "I've heard of you to. You are Joe played football together right? What are you doing now?"

"I am in the Army, currently out on leave. I am being shipped out to Iraq soon. What about you guys?"

"George is at Illinois U and just finished up a Maymester so she can double major in Kinsthology and sports injury. I am at University at Chicago and will finish up my undergrad in Criminal Justice in December and will be looking at graduate schools."

"Wow, you guys are busy! Joe's taking Criminal Justice too before he joins the police academy." Frank, from his position in an armchair, said while sipping his glass of Merlot. George turned to Joe, who was sitting on the couch next to her.

"The police Academy? I have to say I am surprised, I really thought you would go straight from high school to your dad's detective firm. What made you want to go into the academy?"

Joe shook his head, "It really has been a long time since we have all been together, I forgot not everyone knows I am joining the academy next year. A couple of years, ago; what was it Frank, two?" Frank nodded and Joe continued. "Frank and I had a case in Philly and we were working with this older detective; the end of the case came down to a guy holding a girl hostage. I was impatient and wanted to go and there and take care of it. The guy hadn't ever shown any tendency towards violence before. Detective Garold told me not to go in, but I didn't listen and went in anyways. The man killed the girl and then himself when I entered the house. I didn't think he would do anything."

Joe paused here, lost in thought, before picking up where he left of, "I couldn't figure out what I missed, I thought I knew the perp and could flush him out. I was really tore up about it and Detective Garold took me to the side at the precinct and told me that I was just like him when he first got out of school and ready to join the academy. He thought he knew everything and all the answers to all the questions. He said it took him going through the academy and working his way up in the precinct to be able to know when to go in, when to wait it out, and to have the patience to do so. I want to be able to do that, so I thought long and hard about it and decided I wanted to do it that way to; then maybe when I am wise enough I won't see Stephanie Long's face won't be there every time I go to sleep."

There was a heavy silence hanging in the air when Joe finished talking; and Frank, not wanting to keep Joe too deep in the memories, decided to pick up the conversation. "And I am going on my last year of pre-med at Harvard, and then I will be looking for a Medical school." The group slowly shifted its attention to Frank.

"That's great, Frank, I didn't realize you are doing a medical track." Nancy said from her place beside Biff on the other couch. She was completely surprised that she didn't know any of this; it really has been a long time since she has spent any time with the Hardy's. "Like Joe, I just thought you would be going into your dads firm. What does he think of all of this?"

"He's okay with it. He wants us to do whatever makes us happy. He started the firm for himself not for us. We work there over breaks, like now, and besides there is no reason why we can't work there later, I don't think either one of us are ruling it out for later down the line." Joe nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I might, like Dad, want to move from the precinct into private investigation one day. These are just the paths we are moving into right now." The group settled into an uncomfortable silence.

Biff cleared his throat, "Well my beer's gone, does anyone else need a refill?" The whole group nodded and Biff stood up, "George would you like to help?" George nodded and stood up; her cheeks pinched with pink and followed Biff down stairs.

Nancy moved over to sit with Joe in the seat George had evacuated. Resting her hand slightly on his back, she decided it was time to move the conversation onto something more chipper. "So I thought we could talk about the case tonight, but it is so good seeing you guys again that I say we meet for lunch tomorrow and talk about it then and just catch up for now." The brothers nodded their agreement. "So, anyone else see the way Biff was staring at George or was that just me?"

Joe laughed, "I did notice his eyes flicking her way more often than anywhere else. Too bad Bess isn't here, she would play match maker."

"Maybe it's best for George she isn't here. I don't think she would be happy to have any of us intervene. You know how she is."

Frank laughed, "Besides, it looks like their doing fine on their own." Nancy turned her head towards the staircase to see George and Biff deep in conversation by the stair rail. "Do you think they know they forgot the drinks?"

Joe and Nancy laughed. George and Biff finally made it back to the sitting area. "The bartender said a waitress will be by with our drinks in a bit." Frank, Joe and Nancy all laughed, leaving George and Biff confused. The rest of the evening went off smooth and the five of them agreed to meet for lunch at one at a sandwich shop around the corner from the girl's hotel.

* * *

_It's my night just to myself. My daughters are at a sleep over and my husband is working late. I have plans to watch what my husband, and most men I imagine, call a chick flick, eat some Moose Track Ice Cream and give myself a pedicure and facial. I pull out my tub of moose tracks, its more than half way gone, should I even get a bowl? Deciding on just eating from the carton, I grab my spoon, bottle of wine and my glass; then head into my living room. _

_Turning the lights off I get comfortable to watch Grease, for what must be the 85__th__ time. Sandy is singing her heart out at the drive-in, this is my favorite part. Singing along with the music I almost jump out of my skin when I hear the front door open and close. "Jesus Greg, I thought you weren't getting home till midnight." I cross the living room into the hall to great my husband. The door is closed and there isn't anyone there._

_I turn around, "Greg? Greg? Did you get home early?" Greg doesn't answer and I am starting to get that first trickle of fear. Turning towards the front door I check the lock, and its open. Clicking it soundly I grab the umbrella leaning against the wall and move to walk up the stairs. My heart feels like it's tighten in an elastic band. I push my daughters' door open, there's nothing there. My breath eases some. I am most likely over reacting; I've been jumpy ever since Greg started working second shift. _

_Sighing I head down stairs to finish my movie, as I step off the landing down to the first step there's a push on my lower back. My stomach shoots up into my throat and the floor drops out from below me. I can feel somewhere in the haze my fear is creating, the sensation of various parts of my body slamming over and over into the stairs. My vision is turning red and I can't seem to get my legs working. I can see the legs of someone coming down the stairs, and then a hand grabs the top of my head. The ripping pain is enough to break through my fear and I scream, and scream. The legs in front of me stop moving, and briefly I feel a thundering pain in my ear, followed by nothing._

* * *

Ok that's all for now. The mystery really gets going in the next chapter. I know my tenses are weird sometimes and I am working on them, it's hardest for me in the first person. I love having Biff here, and am thinking about bringing in Chet, who else I also love! I hope you guys like it!

Question of the week: If love is a battlefield, what exactly are the weapons used? It's a scary thought.


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